Walter Payton's son asks students to unlock 'greatness'

January 11, 2014|By Alicia Fabbre | Special to the Tribune

Jarrett Payton addresses students at Aux Sable Middle School in Joliet. (Alicia Fabbre, Special to the Tribune)

As he talked to students at Aux Sable Middle School in Joliet, Jarrett Payton gave bullying only a brief mention, as if to show that bullies couldn't win against the greatness inside those who were listening.

He talked about his dad – the late Bear Walter Payton – and other "greats" he has met in his life.

"I study greatness every single day," he said. "I got to see what it took to be great."

Payton, who lives in Hoffman Estates with his wife and 22-month old son, travels to schools through his foundation to encourage leadership in students. He shared a similar message with Aux Sable Middle School parents that same evening.

"We always talk about the bully problem," he said after the assembly. "I want to build leaders in our community because if we can do that, then we're making a difference and we can stop some of the things we're seeing (with bullying)."

Payton shared stories about growing up with a football legend as a dad. He recalled how he and his father went shopping at Toys R Us one Christmas and his father gave him the OK to buy whatever he wanted. It wasn't until there were on the way home that he discovered the toys were not for him but for families in need. It was then, he said, that he learned the importance of giving back.

He also talked about the dedication his dad and other athletes have to their sport.

"Greatness is the craziest thing and we all have it inside," said Payton, who played football for the University of Miami and Tennessee Titans. "But what I saw from my pop is that sometimes it's a lot of work to get it out of you."

During a Q&A session, Payton shared that he wishes he could have had more time with his father, thinks cheerleading is a sport (a response that drew a roar of cheers) and that one of the best decisions he made was returning to college after his father died instead of taking a semester off. He said it was what his dad would have wanted him to do.

Payton's motivational message fit well with the school's character education.

"When you get someone like Jarrett Payton saying some of the things we tell them, it makes a bigger impact," Principal Ed Boswell said.

After the assembly, students were talking about spending more time with their family, helping each other out and going after their dreams.

"If I see someone getting down, I'm going to help them out," said Dashawn Moore, a 6th grader from Plainfield.